


Cloudburst

by nationalnobody



Category: The Creatures (Youtube RPF)
Genre: Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, fear of storms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 13:06:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5786281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nationalnobody/pseuds/nationalnobody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A traumatic childhood experience leaves Aleks’ with a lingering fear of storms. It’s just his luck that while walking to James’ house, the downpour turns into a thunderstorm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cloudburst

**Author's Note:**

> a quick thank you to mikey (selvish) who helped me come up with the reason behind aleks' fear :^)

The storm outside seemed to worsen as the minutes ticked by and James felt dreary as Ein's scared whining continued to resound throughout the house. She had taken to hiding beneath the couch, almost like a cat would. James had tried to get her out from underneath it about an hour ago but it hadn't worked. Now he’s sat at his desk trying to edit some footage, another episode of Mario Maker, he’d recorded earlier.

A sudden crack of lightning and a boom of thunder; James' headphones are sent flying across the room and he groans in annoyance.

"Fuckin' storm..." He mutters to himself as he stands up to retrieve his headphones. Just as he bends down, he hears the faint sound of a fist against his door. Maybe he imagined it? Who would be out in this weather, logically speaking?

However, there it was again. Knock, knock, knock. Ein had begun barking which confirmed his suspicions that someone must be outside his front door. He hurried downstairs, stairs creaking as he descended, and grabbed his keys to unlock the door.

Out of all the people he could have expected to be outside his door, dripping wet, teeth chattering and soaked to the bone, the last on his list would be Aleks. A million questions surfaced in James' head but he hampered them down and instead drew Aleks into his home and shut the door deftly.

The smaller man was a shivering mess and shockingly, made no comment as James guided him up the stairs and into the bathroom, peeling off the Russian's wet shirt and placing a towel on his head, quite gently at that. Aleks stares blankly at James, seeming more than a little out of it so James decides to try and figure out what’s up.

"Aleks? Why'd you come to my house in the middle of a storm? Is everything alright?"

Nothing but silence. James accepts it because he’s unsure about what's going on and Aleks is never usually this docile so it's making him more than a little apprehensive. Another clap of thunder, the first since Aleks arrived, sounds and it leaves the man rigid and breathing heavily through his nose.

It takes him a moment but then it clicks, Aleks is afraid of thunder? Perhaps storms as a whole? James isn't sure but what he does know is that he doesn't want to see his normally unshaken Russian, shaken. So he ruffles the towel against Aleks' hair and dries him off as best as he can. Throughout the entire ordeal, Aleks says nothing, only stumbles when James reaches to undo his soaked pants' belt.

The pants come off with a little bit of a struggle, _damn his tight jeans,_ and soon Aleks is left standing near the entrance of James' bathroom, clad in only his boxers. Not that he hasn't been in this situation before, he has, although there had been more pleasure involved then, and not so much right now.

James pats him dry and throws the damp towels in a heap at the end of the counter before guiding Aleks out of the bathroom and into his room, it’s sort of their room though really, considering how much time Aleks spends over at James’ house.

The closet door opens with a tiny creak and James cards through his shirts until he finds a clean sweater, shorts (because all his sweatpants are in the wash) and one of Aleks’ spare boxer pairs. He hands the clothes to Aleks who grips them tightly, moving closer to the bed to change. When James hears shuffling behind him, he turns around, drinking in the sight of a seemingly tiny Aleks in one of his baggy sweaters. His boyfriend truly was something else.

Absentmindedly, he notes that Ein ceased her whining downstairs even though the storm continues to rage on outside, regardless, James is grateful. Ein's whining always leaves him feeling unsettled…  

He places his hand on Aleks’ lower back and gently prompts the boy to make his way towards the couch. James watches as Aleks falls back onto the couch with a huff of breath, wary eyes staring right back at his own. There’s a grey blanket crumpled at the other end of the couch and James grabs at it before draping it over Aleks and settling next to him. With a click, the television turns on and the quiet sound of animals and David Attenborough fill the room.

The silence between them would be comfortable if this were any other day but Aleks’ current anxiety leaves James feeling distressed and at a loss of what to do. He doesn’t want to pry, lest Aleks uses his defensive retreat tactics and backs away, so he slots his fingers between his Russian’s and prays everything will turn out alright. Another ten minutes passes by and then:

“Thanks…”

James squeezes his hand, it’s a mumble but at least it’s something. He asks softly, “You okay? Did something happen?”

Aleks tenses and then deflates, “I...I was walking to your place but it was only raining when I left. Halfway through, the...the thunder started up and I just ran all the way here. My umbrella got blown away by the wind, I swear the lightning set the sky on fire. The thunder sounded so, so close and- _and I was so fucking afraid James._ ”

James feels his heart drop and is about to speak up but Aleks presses on, “When I was younger… There had been this really bad storm and I had been playing in the front yard when it started but-but my parents thought I was already in my bedroom. I was stuck out there for over an hour and there was nowhere to hide and the noise was _so_ loud. I saw the whole sky, the whole world, flash before my eyes and I really thought _this is it, this is the end_ and I sobbed, clutched at the wet grass that slipped right through my fingers, screamed for my parents, anyone, because I was too terrified to move. They did come, but it was an hour later. I couldn’t sleep properly for weeks afterwards because every time I closed my eyes, all I heard was low rumbling, sharp claps and all I saw were dark clouds and flashes of blinding light. It, I just...”

Aleks shudders, lets out a heavy breath and allows himself to be pulled into James’ lap. The older of the two wraps his arms around the younger’s waist and whispers, “You’re so brave. My tough little Russian.”

Aleks protests by pushing at James lightly but by now he knows that James wouldn’t ever let go. Instead, James kisses Aleks’ head, places his chin atop the boy’s shoulder and traces imaginary patterns into narrow hips.

“Thanks for making me feel better.” It’s so quiet that if he wasn’t seated right behind Aleks, he wouldn’t have heard it.

James grins and he’s sure Aleks can feel it too, “I love you, Aleksandr.”

“Fuck off.” Comes the whispered reply as Aleks snuggles further into the comforting embrace that only James could offer him. His lively, idiotic James. He was beyond grateful to have him, he just hoped James knew it too.

“You just said that out loud, asshole.” James says playfully with a chuckle, “Trust me, I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: @national-nobody


End file.
